Well.... I don't think we have been robbed! This morning I pulled out my purse and discovered a huge slit in my Coach messenger bag (see below). I haven't used my purse since last week and I have NO idea where the slit came from. Nothing was taken, but now I'm suspicion that maybe on a crowded bus someone attempted to rob me. The slit goes through the leather and the lining. It's a mystery. If anyone has an idea of what might have happened, please let me know. Your criminal instincts would
be appreciated😉.......
Perhaps you've been watching international news and saw that there is a transportation strike in Ecuador. It came as a surprise to us on Thursday morning. When I woke up and started my morning routine of exercising I thought I heard people yelling and chanting. It was short, but noticeable. This thought went through my mind, "It sounds like a riot." I listen for a few more minutes, but I didn't hear anything more that caused alarm.
We walked to the mission office at our usual time of 9:45 AM and noticed there was no bus or taxi traffic, and fewer people on the streets. It was quiet and I thought maybe we'd missed a national or city holiday. A holiday would explain both the yelling and chanting heard earlier and the lack of traffic.
When we arrived at the office I was planning to teach a 10 AM piano lesson to a new student. We had decided on Tuesday to have the lesson at the office building on Thursday using the rarely played, but very nice upright Yamaha piano on the 6th floor. However, my piano student didn't show up. I texted her, but didn't hear anything. About an hour later I received a call from a young friend named Eduarda. We were scheduled to meet at the Colon chapel that evening for her verbal English test. She had asked me to be her speaking companion for the exam. Eduarda called to cancel because of the "bad things that were happening in the city." She didn't have enough Spanish vocabulary to explain what those "bad things" were.
At the time of Eduarda's call, I was working at the computer/printer on the 3rd floor. I decided to find out what was happening and ventured into Brother Canar's office. Brother Canar is the Church's legal representative and coordinator for Ecuador. I asked him about the "bad things that were happening in the city." Brother Canar speaks good English and he told me there was a "stroke" going on because the government had lifted fuel subsidies. The "stroke" (strike) was nationwide.
Ahhhh......that explained the chanting I'd heard early in the morning, the lack of bus and taxi traffic, the quiet streets, my missing piano student, and the cancellation of the English exam with Eduarda. When the buses and taxis are on strike, Quito quickly comes to a standstill because the majority of people use public transportation. And YES that includes the missionaries!
Our work on Thursday continued, but by Friday morning we started to feel some of the affects of the transportation strike. The Zone Conference for our zone was cancelled. Missionaries were counseled to stay inside their apartments and only go out for the basics provided there was no rioting or violence in their sectors. The Assistants to the President were stranded in Riobamba and 10 other missionaries were stranded in Puyo.
Arrangements were made for the stranded missionaries and we all just hunkered down for the weekend. It was nice for us to have General Conference to listen to. Not all the missionaries were that fortunate.
We did see a lot of police milling around the streets and after lunch on Friday, as we walked back to the mission office, we actually saw an Ecuadorian Power Ranger; he was clad in protective gear from head to toe! I'm not sure who he represented, but he was walking the streets and his mere presence made you feel more safe.
We thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful spirit of General Conference and sincerely appreciated the counsel that was shared. I especially enjoyed the Women's session. The 3 Latino sister missionaries that live in our apartment complex came to watch the session with me. We obviously have some language barriers, but the Spirit was strong and by the end of the session, we were all weeping together. We celebrated our bond of sisterhood with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies following the broadcast.
The bus and taxi unions supposedly ended the strike over the weekend. However, things were still slow at the office today and missionaries were told to stay inside until further notice. Apparently, the indigenous people of Ecuador are NOT ready for the strike to end. What we are seeing and feeling inside the city is "quiet." We understand that outside the city, it is a little different. For example, yesterday the AP's (Assistants to the President) made their way back to Quito from Riobamba. To travel from Quito to Riobamba is normally 3 hours by bus. It took Elders Flint and Pinto 10 hours to return. They had a driver who was willing to take back roads. Along the way they ran into road blocks set up by indigenous groups and either had to turn around and take another route or pay to go through the road blocks. We were glad to have them back.
The zone leaders from Colon (our zone) came to the office this morning with a collection of tear gas cans that they had found outside their apartment complex. Memorabilia to share with the other missionaries.
This morning President Barlow spoke with security in Salt Lake. The current plan is for us to sit tight and wait. We did hear that the US Embassy is going to evacuate families affiliated with the Embassy, but that has not been confirmed. The strike could end tomorrow or continue for a few more weeks. Time will tell....
Last week, Elder Lewis and I participated in the Turubamba Zone Conference with President and Sister Barlow. We were planning to do the same on Friday at the Colon Zone Conference, but that was cancelled; and we will not be attending the Riobamba Zone Conference with President Barlow this week. It too has been cancelled. We hope by next week the strike is over so we can travel with President to the Santo Domingo Zone Conference.
We send our love to all! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
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